Prpe-wbench



W. P. STALEY.

PIPE WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.6.1915.

11.31.9 58 PutentedAug.15;1916.

Witnesses M ream/w,

tudinal sectional view W ILLIAM PRESTON STALEY, OF 'SEDALIA, MISSOURI.

PIPE-WREN CH.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatl, \VILLIAM P. STALEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Sedalia, in the county of lcttis and State of issouri, haveinvented a new and useful Pipe-VVrench, of which the following is aspecification.

This inventionrelates to wrenches and more particularly to theadjustable type, designed for gripping and turning pipes, rods, or othercircular objects or materials.

An object of thisinvention is to provide a pipe wrench which is capableof ready and convenient adjustment, and embodying novel automaticlocking means. I

Another objectbf this invention .is the. provision of a pipe wrenchwhich is adapted to securely grip the pipe,-or desired material, butwhich gripping action is limited in order to prevent the crushing of thepipe.

A further object of this invention is to providea pipe, wrench ofgeneraLimproved construction, whereby the device 'will be simple, durable and inexpensive inconstruction, as well as practical, serviceableand efiicient in its use.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will. appear as thedescription. proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and'in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, 'it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within thescope ofwvhat is claimed, without departing from the spirit oftheinvcntion.

This invention has been illustrated in its preferred embodiment in theaccompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 a side elevation of the 1mprovcdwrench. Fig. 2 is a fragniental longiof the gripping end of the wrench.Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig.2.

F ig. 4 is a perspective View of the gripping block. v

In carrying out the present invention,

, there is provided a stationary or fixed shank 1 having a laterallyenlarged fixed ja w 2 formed at one end thereof and a manipulat-Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 6, 1915.

'19 extending Serial No. 44,076.

ng handle 3 secured to its" opposed end. The outer, face of the jaw 2 isprovided with teeth or serrations 4. An enlargement 5 is formed on theshank '1, adjacent the statlonary jaw 2, which enlargement defines anoblique or inclined shoulder 13 at the inner terminal thereof. A yoke 7is pivotally secured to the enlargement 5, as indicated at 8. The yoke 7comprises side walls 9 and edge walls 10 and 11, and a transversepartition l2. Opposed rectangular slots 13 are formed in the side wall 9of the yoke 7, while the edge wall 11 and adjacent portions of the sidewall 9 are cut away as shown at 1-1. The yoke 7 is yieldingly held inpredetermined relation with respect to the shank 1, by means of opposedlea-f springs 15 and 16, which are secured to the shank 1, by screws orother securing elements l7.- The outer or free terminal of the spring 15resiliently engagesthe transverse partition 12, while the outer or freeterminal of the spring 16 resiliently engages the reduced edge wall 11.

Slidably mounted within the yoke 7, is ainovztble shank 18 having amovable jaw perpendicularly from one end thereof. The inner longitudinaledge of the movable shank 18 is-provided with teeth or serrations 20,and the inner face of the movable jaw 19 is, also, provided with teethor serrations 21, which are operate with the teeth l of jaw 2, as willbe hereinafter disclosed. In order to lock the movable jaw 19 inoperablerelation relative to the stationary or fixed jaw 2, there isprovided a gripping or ratchet block 22,.which has its outer face, orthat face which is adjacent the movable shank 18, toothed or serrated asindicated at 23, to operably engage the teeth 20 of the. shank l8.()pposed ears or laterally from the block 22, and are slidably receivedby the slots 13. A relatively long leaf spring 25' has one end thereofsecured to the stationary shank 1, by means of the screw or othersecuring element 17, while the opposed terminal of the spring 25resiliently-engages that face of the gripping block which is remote fromteeth :33, to normally hold the teeth 23 Patented Aug. 15, 19118;

adapted to cothe stationary lugs 24 extend in engagement rangement theblock 22 is held against longilength be readily moved from ping block orrod '(not shown) by direction of the arrow tudinal movement witl'respect to the yoke 7, owing to the sliding engagement of the lugs orears 2 1 with the slot 13, but the block 22.is free to move transverselyof the yoke '57, as depicted in the accompanying draw- To further insureagainst the longitudinal movement of the gripping block 22 in thedirection of the stress, when the wrench is in use, one end, or that endof the grip- 22 which is adjacent the shoulder 6, is obliquely orslantingly disposed as indicated at 25, to cooperate with the obliqueshoulder 6. I

In assembling the improved wrench, the

yoke is first secured to the stationary shank 1 by means of the pin 8,and then the are secured .to the Now the gripping block position bydisposing its transversely of the yoke, or so that its length coincideswith the length of the slots 13, thereby enabling the block 22 to beinserted into the yoke. After the block 22 has been inserted into theyoke 7 it is turned through an arc of 90 degrees, which allows the readyinsertion of the movable shank 18 into the yoke, as illustrated.

In practical use, the movable jaw 19 may the fixed or stationto grippingthe pipe simply pulling the gripping block 22 against the tension of thespring 25 and away from the serrated movable shank 18, through theinstrumentality of the exposed lugs or cars 24, which are readilyaccessible, to allow their convenient manipulation. After the opposed.jaws 2 and 19 are positioned on opposed sides of the pipe and intoengagement with the pipe, the wrench will effectively pipe, by simplyreleasing the ears or lugs 2 1 and moving the wrench handle 3 in the A.After releasing the ears or logs 2%, the teeth 23 of the gripping block22 will snap into engagement with teeth 20 of the movable shank 18,thereby locking the block to the movable shank 18, and, since theoblique shoulder 25 of the block 22 in engagement with the obliqueshoulder 6 of the enlarged portion of: the fixed shank, therefore, theentire strpss of the gripping and wrenching actipn is imparted to theenlargement 5 of the fixed shank 1. v

It will be observed that any tendency of the gripping block 22 tomoveaway from the movable shank 18, during the gripping wrench aption,is obviated by providing the inclined 'or oblique shoulder (S, becauseany movement of the block 22 away from the movable shank 18 will causethe block to springs15, 16 and 25 shank 1, as shown. 22 is placed in aryjaw 2, preparatory grip and turn the move along the oblique shoulder 6against the direction of the stress of the gripping and wrenchingaction, whjohstrcss or strain is preponderantly in excess of any forcewhich would tend to move the block 22 from engagement with the movableshank 18.

Having thus described my invention, what is claimed as new is z- 1. Awrench including a fixed shank; a fixed jaw; an oblique shoulder formedon the fitted shank; a spring controlled yoke pivotally secured'to thesaid fixed shank; a movable shank slidably mounted in the said yoke; amovable jaw carried by the movable shank; a gripping block slidablymounted in the said yoke; and an. blique shoulder formed on the said,gripping block and adapted to operably engage the oblique shoulderformed on the fixed shank.

2. A wrench including, a fixed shank; an enlargement formed at theoutcrend of the said fixed shank; an obliquely disposed shoulder formedon the said enlargement; a serrated fixed jaw carried by the saidenlargement; a spring controlled yoke pivotally secured to the saidenlargement; a serrated movable shank longitudinally slidable within thesaid yoke; a serrated movable jaw extendin transversely from the saidmovable shanc; a. spring actuated serrated gripping block slidablymounted in the said yoke and adapted to operatively engage the saidserrated movable shank; an. oblique shoulder formed on the said grippingblock and adapted to slidably engage the oblique shoulder of the saidenlargement.

3. A wrench including a fixed shank; an oblique shoulder formed in thesaid shank; a fixed jaw carried by the said fixed shank; teeth formed inthe outer face of the said fixed jaw; .a yoke pivotally secured'to thefixed shank, said yoke comprising opposed side walls having opposedrectangular slots formed therein, opposed edge'walls, one of which isreduced, and a transverse partition formed in the yoke and extendin fromthe opposed side walls; opposed fia springs having one endsecured to thesaid fixed shankithe'free end of one of said-springs resilientlyengaging the said reduced edge wall, while the free end of the remainingspring resiliently engages the said transverse partition, said springsadapted to nor-.

mally hold the yoke in predetermined relation with respect to the saidfixed shank; a, movable shank slidably mounted in the said yoke; teethformed on the said shank; a movable jaw extending from the said movableshank; teeth formed on the inner face of the said movable jaw andadapted to cooperate with the teeth formed in the said fixed jaw; agripping block slidably mounted in the said yoke; teeth formed on theface of said block and adapted to operablv engage the teeth formed onsaid movable gripping block to normally press the teeth shank; an earextending laterally from each of said block into engagement with theteeth side of the said block and adapted to extend of the said movableshank. through and slidahly engage the said reetan- In testimony that Iclaim the foregoing 5 ,gfhlar slots; an oblique shoulder formed on as myown, I have hereto aflixed my signa- 1 the said block and adapted toslidably enture in the presence of two witnesses.

gs" tie the oblique shoulder formed on the said WILLIAM PRESTON STALEY."fixed shank; and a leaf spring secured to the Witnesses: said fixedshank, the free end of which F. E. Ginnoxs, 4Q spring is adanted' toresiliently engage the J. L. VAN WAGNER

